Omni-channel marketing concerns the notion that the modern customer is no longer confined to one single channel or platform of which they can be targeted on. The modern customer gives attention to multiple platforms and channels, meaning there are multiple touchpoints a business must make in order to capture said attention of the customer.
In this blog post, we are going to be looking at the concepts behind omni channel marketing, what it is and how to implement it.
What Is Omnichannel Marketing?
Omnichannel marketing is cross-channel, meaning it takes a marketing approach of delivering content across various marketing channels and platforms in order to provide multiple touchpoints for the customer before they make their purchase.
Omnichannel marketing addresses a well known fact, that customers are not just ‘hanging out’ in one place anymore. They are split up across media platforms, social media platforms and in some cases, still indulging in traditional marketing means such as newspapers and radio advertisements. Omnichannel knows that in order to acquire customers effectively and to increase the chances of potential customers becoming paying customers, the more touch points the better.
Here is an example of what an Omnichannel marketing strategy may look like:
- Target people with advertisements using Facebook Ads.
- Once the advert is clicked, the potential buyer lands on a product page.
- The potential buyer is interested in making a purchase, but gets distracted by something and abandons their cart.
- After a couple days, you retarget them with a facebook advertisement encouraging them to come back and complete their purchase. (In order to retarget website traffic with Facebook Ads, make sure your website has an active Facebook Pixel).
- The potential customer becomes a paying customer and over the coming months, you are able to retarget them again across the web to come back and make another purchase.
A common misconception amongst Omnichannel marketing is that it is no different to multi-channel marketing, however there is in fact a key difference between the two.
Omnichannel marketing focuses on the customer experience, the buyer's journey and everything that revolves around it, whereas Multi-channel marketing focuses on ‘spreading the word’ using as many channels as possible, meaning it does not follow the customer through the buyer’s journey. Now, an Omnichannel marketing approach can contain multi-channel marketing, but it does not necessarily work the other way around.
How To Create A Strong Omnichannel Marketing Strategy
A great buyer's journey is made up of simplicity. Why? Because customers do not like complex tasks. They want to be able to breeze through the browsing and checkout process, as opposed to feeling like they are deciphering morse code!
When it comes to creating and implementing a strong Omnichannel marketing strategy, we have broken it down into 4 simple steps:
- Content Is King, But Only With Context
- You Must Know Your Customer
- Have A Marketing Technology Stack
- Responsive & Well Structured Website
Content Is King, But Only With Context
You have probably by now heard the age old statement that is, ‘Content is king’. It is still very true to this day, but there is an important part that is missing from it. Content is king, but only with context. Context matters, and it matters a lot.
What kind of content are your customers consuming and when are they consuming it? Are your resources resonating with them? Do your free tools better convert customers? These are all questions regarding your content. Offering content to your customers about topics they do not have interest in is a sure fire way to lose them. When publishing content, whether it be on social media or your blog, make sure it is relevant to your customer base and that it is contextual.
You Must Know Your Customer
This hopefully goes without saying. To provide a valuable omni-channel experience, you must know your customers like the back of your hand. You should know what goals they have, and what challenges they are facing.
A few ways you can learn more about your customers include:
- Inviting customer feedback through surveys and after sales service
- View their social media accounts
- Find out what channels they use and how often.
Have A Marketing Technology Stack
A marketing technology stack is a group of tools that work together to improve your marketing efforts. Research from Aberdeen shows that the most commonly used tools within a marketing technology stack are:
- Customer relationship management software
- Video/web conferencing solution
- Email service provider
- Marketing automation platform
- Print materials and solutions
- Analytics and data visualizations solutions
- Content management system
Another good tool to use is a CRM (customer relationship management) and an analytics tool. Think of the CRM as the heart, and the analytics tool as the brain. In conjunction with the other tools mentioned above, this will contribute greatly to creating a strong omnichannel marketing strategy.
Responsive & Well Structured Website
It is extremely important to have a well performing website. Nowadays, that is the least a customer expects. All your web pages must be responsive and optimised to process conversions, especially pages that request personal information from visitors, such as email signups and the checkout pages.
For tips on what to include within your website, check out 8 Web Design Tips You Need To Implement For Your Website or 7 Critical Features Your Website Homepage Should Include
Conclusion
So, is an omnichannel marketing strategy worth it? We definitely think so! The more channels you use, the more valuable you become.
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If you are interested in finding out how VEVS and our team of experts can help your business when it comes to marketing, please visit our digital marketing page for more information.
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